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Cranbrook’s biggest weekend event of the year underway
Sam Steele Days June 14 – 17
Forget about the soggy spring and often cloudy days because Sam Steele Days is here.
Starting today (June 14) and running until Sunday, June 17, Sam Steele Days is jam packed with events and entertainment for the entire family.
The weekend’s fun began this morning with a pancake breakfast at Scotia Bank and the Sam Steele Days theme is prevalent throughout the city today as business fronts and employees/owners are decked out in appropriate apparel.
There was also a barbecue from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Royal LePage.
Friday’s festivities begin at 7:30 a.m. at Baker Street Mall with a pancake breakfast running until 9:30 a.m. There is another pancake breakfast from 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at Joseph Creek Village.
Royal LePage is hosting another barbecue from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
One of the weekend’s great highlights begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Key City Theatre, with the Youth Ambassador Pageant. See eight gifted young ladies vie for the time honoured titles of Sam Steele Sweetheart and Sam Steele Princess, earned last year by Amanda Musso and Mallory Balfour.
The eight contestants are: Brianna Kennedy, Derissa Leung, Taylor Miller, Morgan Pelletier, Lindsay Ries, Erica Struthers, Maddie Wallace and Mariah Whitlock. The colourful and entertaining pageant wraps up around 10:30 p.m. with the naming of the Sweetheart and Princess.
The evening concludes with the Sweetheart Banquet and Ball, going from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. at the Heritage Inn.
Beginning at 5 p.m. on Friday at the Kinsmen Quads ball park is the Balls of Steele Ball Tournament, with games going until about 9 p.m. The tournament runs until Sunday, June 17, with a refreshment garden included.
Also running from Friday to Sunday is the Sam Steele Poker Classic at St. Eugene Resort and Casino.
Keeping with the sports theme, running Saturday and Sunday at Moir Park is the EKC’s KEYSA youth soccer tournament, with games going from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
From 6-9 p.m. on Friday night is the Sam Steele Bocce Tournament at the Kinsmen Quads ball park. The tournament also runs from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday.
Saturday is the big day for Sam Steele Days and a good breakfast is needed – so check out Nutter’s Pancake Breakfast being held on the sidewalk in front of the Baker Street business. It begins at 7:30 a.m. and runs until 10 a.m.
Make sure you stake out a good spot for the largest parade in the Kootenays – the Sam Steele Days Parade, which begins at 10:30 a.m. and finishes at about 12:30 p.m.
The parade starts at the 17th Ave. end of 1st Street and rolls up to 8th Ave. It then moves up to Baker Street and then up Kootenay Street where it terminates.
Don’t forget to swing up to 10th Avenue beside Rotary Park at noon on Saturday after/during the parade to catch the eighth annual Strongman Classic. This year features six Cranbrook residents in the field of 16 competitors vying for the World Gym Fitness Centres sponsored event.
Competing from Cranbrook are: John Bain, Ryan Chicoine, Pete Durning, Steve Lacroix, Steve Mironuck and Nik Ramsey.
Creston’s Charles Balawakula is also taking part, with the remaining competitors hailing from Calgary. The action concludes at about 5 p.m.
There are a number of events taking place on Saturday at Spirit Square in Rotary Park, including:
11 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. – Spring Honda Taste of Cranbrook.
11 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. – North Star GM Arts and Crafts Show & Sale.
11:45 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. – North Star GM Community Talent Show.
2 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. – Cupcake Eating Contest.
2 p.m. – 5 p.m. – Traffic Jam 2012 Freeride-Street Riding bike competition.
12 – 4:30 p.m. – Face painting, Inflatable Funland and more in the park.
A favourite of Sam Steele Days returns this year with the Rocky Mountain Lumberjack Show, running from noon to 3 p.m. beside High Country Sports.
As is often the case during Sam Steele Days, there are plenty of informative presentations on display. Adding to that this year is the East Kootenay Invasive Plant Council (EKIPC) which is presenting Clean, Drain, Dry, a public opportunity to view the East Kootenay’s new Mobile Boat Decontamination Station and learn about aquatic invasive species on June 16 from 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. on the corner of Baker St & 11 Ave. N.
From 1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the front of the Paw Shop there will be wiener dog races.
Wildstone Golf Course is getting in on the action by hosting a Long Drive Contest from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
College of the Rockies is hosting a Disc Golf Tournament from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. at its disc golf course.
And as always, the famous Sam Steele Days Festival Gardens will be running from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights at the Memorial Arena.
If you’re not too pooped out from all of Saturday’s fun, Sunday, June 17 promises even more.
The Fraternal Order of Eagles is hosting a Father’s Day breakfast at the Eagles Hall, from 8 a.m. to noon.
At 8:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. the Cranbrook Firefighters Fishing Clinic is being held at Idlewild Park.
There is more fun at Spirit Square in Rotary Park beginning at 11 a.m. with a Kiddies Day Parade followed by the Old Fashioned Picnic in the Park, which runs until 2 p.m. in conjunction with the Cranbrook Farmers’ Market adjacent on 10th Ave.
Fort Steele Heritage Town is also providing Sam Steele Days fun with its annual Father’s Day at the Fort Steele Railway, beginning at 11 a.m.
From 1-3 p.m., parents and children are invited to take part in a Weed Scavenger Hunt and learn about invasive plants and win prizes at Idlewild Park, presented by the EKIPC.
The weekend’s events culminate Sunday evening with a 6 p.m. concert at the Cranbrook Alliance Church. Check out the family friendly sounds of Starfield.
For the Sam Steele Days real time events calendar go to: https://www.samsteeledays.org/events/
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